Description
This Baked Gnocchi recipe features soft gnocchi pasta cooked directly in marinara sauce with a creamy, homemade vegan cheese sauce made from cashews, miso paste, and nutritional yeast. Baked until tender and bubbly, it’s a comforting, plant-based dish perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Gnocchi and Sauce
- 4 cups gnocchi (uncooked)
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced or paste)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or preferred cooking oil)
- 3 cups marinara sauce (your choice)
- ¼ cup Italian parsley (finely chopped)
Vegan Cheese Sauce
- ½ cup cashews (raw)
- ¾ cup soy milk (or preferred plant milk)
- 1 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
Instructions
- Preheat and Soften Cashews: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Boil the raw cashews in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes to soften them. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Prepare Vegan Cheese Sauce: Once cooled, blend the softened cashews with miso paste, nutritional yeast, fresh and powdered garlic, soy milk, salt, and tapioca starch in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Sauté Garlic: Heat avocado oil in a 10" ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Marinara and Gnocchi: Mix the marinara sauce into the skillet, then add the uncooked gnocchi. Toss everything together to combine.
- Combine and Bake: Pour the creamy vegan cheese sauce over the gnocchi mixture in the skillet. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the gnocchi is tender and the sauce thickens.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven, garnish with chopped Italian parsley, and serve warm.
Notes
- You can substitute avocado oil with olive oil or any neutral oil you prefer.
- For nut-free version, try substituting cashews with cooked white beans, but the texture will vary.
- Use gluten-free gnocchi if you require a gluten-free dish.
- The tapioca starch helps to thicken the vegan cheese sauce, but you can substitute it with cornstarch if needed.
- Adjust salt according to your taste, especially depending on the saltiness of the miso paste.
